The new Qashqai gives you more

The strength of Qashqai’s appeal is reflected in its outstanding reception in the marketplace since launch in March 2007, it has turned into the fastest selling model in the history of Nissan Europe and over 500,000 Qashqais and Qashqai+2s had been delivered by the end of 2009. 

Now the 2010 Qashqai is here, and its mix of hatchback size and small SUV height shows no sign of losing its appeal. The biggest visible exterior changes are to the nose, which features a sharp new bumper design, gloss black grille, updated headlamps and heavily sculpted bonnet. It’s sleeker than before, and the car looks like it weighs less. At the rear, new LED taillights bring the styling into the 21st Century and its boomerang shape takes its design queue from the 370Z sports car. Borrowing its name from a desert-dwelling nomadic tribe living near the Zagros mountains in South Western Iran, Qashqai is described by Stephane Schwarz, Design Director at Nissan Design Europe as an ‘Urban Nomad’. “It’s tough and compact for the city but sleek and agile for journeys away from the town,” he says. “That’s been achieved by fusing a light, elegant and sporty upper body to a tough, planted lower body.”

The dynamic exterior is matched by an asymmetric interior, providing a focused cockpit environment complete with deeply recessed instruments for the driver and a relaxing, airy space for the occupants. High seating positions provide the sense of security normally found in an SUV, yet Qashqai is a more dynamic performer with the accelerative and handling capabilities of a hatchback. The interior has taken a step upmarket with some subtle changes, which have a significant impact. Ambient lighting and a white on black TFT display between the dials add a feeling of quality. All major and minor controls have been wrapped around the driver, who is separated from the front seat passenger by an unusually high centre console. Incorporating a cutaway section on the driver’s side for the handbrake, the centre console also houses twin cup holders and a storage box with integrated sliding armrest. Cabin storage has been improved, and it’s now possible to fit a remarkable 15 cans of pop in the cooled glovebox. The seats themselves are sculpted in both front and rear which adds to the purposeful feel of the interior. In keeping with Qashqai’s sporting potential, the front seats have side bolsters with a high foam density to provide extra support when cornering. The rear seats, which fold on a 60/40 split, offer optimum comfort for two, but Qashqai is a full five seater with three-point safety belts for all occupants. Folding the rear seats to increase load space is simplicity itself. The base of the seat is fixed and all that’s required is a single-handled operation to fold each backrest section. When folded, the load floor is virtually flat from the tailgate to the back of the front seats. There is no need to remove the head restraints before folding the backrests. Thanks to Qashqai’s overall height and its substantial ground clearance, driver and passengers sit higher than they would in a conventional vehicle.

Boot space remains the same, with 410 litres up to the parcel shelf, 860 litres up to the roofline and 1,513 litres if you fold down the rear seats. The current line-up of Visia, Acenta, N-tec and Tekna trim levels will be continued, with highlights being the inclusion of Bluetooth telephone connectivity throughout the range, parking sensors and dual-zone climate control on Acenta, Nissan Connect navigation and media player from N-tec up and a Bose stereo and leather upholstery on Tekna models.

There are two petrol engines and two diesels, the first of the four being a 1.6-litre petrol with 113bhp, front-wheel drive and a five-speed manual gearbox. It can return 42.8mpg and accelerate you from 0-62mph in a reasonable 11.8 seconds. There is also a 2-litre petrol with 138bhp, which can return 36.2mpg and hits 62mph in just over ten seconds. It is available with front- or four-wheel drive and a six-speed manual or CVT automatic transmission. The entry-level diesel is the 1.5-litre dCi, with 105bhp, acceleration to 62mph in 12.2 seconds and 55.3mpg average fuel consumption. Top of the range is a 2-litre dCi with 148bhp and precise ‘five squirt’ fuel injection technology, resulting in a quieter and cleaner engine. It’s the quickest Qashqai, with 0-62mph taking 9.5 seconds, and it beats both petrol engines for economy managing 44.1mpg in front-wheel drive, six-speed manual guise. Four-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission are also available. 

Buyers after an eco Qashqai will want to wait a short while, as a 129g/km Pure Drive model is on its way, with economy of 57.6mpg. There’s invariably a wide gap in braking performance between an SUV and a conventional car with the 4x4’s higher centre of gravity translating into less controllability in an emergency as well as longer stopping distances. However, despite sitting higher than a rival hatchback, Qashqai’s braking performance is competitive with a traditional hatchback thanks to the most advanced braking and traction control systems currently available. Discs brakes all round with standard anti-lock (ABS) are boosted by Brake Assist and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD). Brake Assist maintains maximum deceleration during an emergency stop while EBD constantly alters the front rear balance to achieve optimum brake performance, automatically compensating for differing load conditions.

From certain angles, it has the agility of a passenger car, from others the tough stance of an SUV. One thing is sure Qashqai is one of a kind, there’s nothing else quite like it on the road. Qashqai is an alternative to the norm. A fusion of different themes and concepts, it blurs boundaries and twists expectations. Its clear combination of sporting attitude with the space and ability offered by a typical compact SUV makes it stands out in its segment of the market place.

Nissan X-TRAIL

New from the ground up the latest X-TRAIL boasts a new chassis and new body, an expanded range of more powerful engines providing better performance and economy. There’s more interior space, a much larger trunk area and greatly enhanced interior quality. The most obvious change inside the cabin, is the repositioning of the instrument cluster, which has been moved from the central stack to back behind the multi-function steering wheel. By returning the dials to a position directly ahead of the driver, Nissan have been able to place the navigation/reversing camera screen and the audio system higher up in the centre stack where the information they give are more easily seen. By improving the X-TRAIL on a number of levels but at the same time retaining its core appeal.

The X-TRAIL is fitted with a new diesel engine in 150bhp and 173bhp versions, the former with the option of automatic transmission. Each is impressively flexible, although the 173bhp diesel version benefits from more low-down pulling power than the 150bhp engine. There are also the 141bhp 2.0-litre and 169bhp 2.5-litre petrol engines to choose from. Both petrol-engined versions of X-TRAIL come with a six-speed manual transmission as standard, but are also available with a refined continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) with manual over-ride.

On Tarmac, the X-TRAIL strikes a fine balance between passenger comfort and driving pleasure, with suspension that provides a comfortable ride over any surface, yet also gives decent control through corners. Nissan’s latest electronically controlled ‘intelligent’ ALL MODE-i 4x4 system, which now works in parallel with hill start and descent control systems as well as reinforcing the X-TRAIL’s off-road capability, ALL MODE-i ensures that the dynamic performance on-road is stable, secure and predictable. By sending power to the wheels that have grip, understeer and oversteer is neutralised, which in turn leads to a more enjoyable, positive driving experience.

It is in the luggage area where the new X-TRAIL shows its versatility with a larger trunk than before and an innovative drawer unit that slides away under a false floor where valuables can be kept out of sight at all times. When the rear seats are folded, the new X-TRAIL provides a luggage area of 1649 litres and with the false floor removed, the load capacity is incresed to 1773 litres. X-TRAIL has sold in large numbers to European customers who appreciate its mix of practicality, ability and all-round performance and there is no reason to suggest that position will be any different for the new X‑TRAIL

Nissan Pathfinder

At first glance the Nissan Pathfinder is quite imposing to look at, step inside however you will find a space as civilised and comfortable as an executive estate. The Pathfinder comes in three versions; the Trek, which is a 5-seater and the Sport and Aventura, which have seven seats. All models use the Nissan 2.5-litre 171HP dCi engine. Top speed is just under 110mph, 0-62mph takes just 11.8 seconds and the average fuel consumption with a manual transmission is 28.8 mpg. All models have a six-speed manual transmission as standard with the option to have an automatic, except on the Trek.

At the front of the Aventura’s cabin, the driver gets an 8-way, power-adjustable seat, which can be set, along with the mirror positions, in one of the two memory buttons. The front passenger has 4-way power-adjustment to their seat and both are heated. Controls are well located and mostly self-explanatory in their operation. All Pathfinders have dual-zone climate control but the Aventura gains an extra control for the rear heating and air-conditioning. Other top-of-the-range goodies include Xenon headlamps, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and an electric tilt and slide sunroof. In terms of specification the Aventura comprises of; DVD Satellite-Navigation, a colour rear-view reversing camera, Premium Audio system with MP3 compatibility, Bluetooth telephone connectivity, voice-activation for both navigation and phone, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, auto headlights and the Intelligent Key system.

Around town, it feels more compact than it actually is with decent visibility and light, accurate steering. It's a similar story on A and B roads, where good grip and limited bodyroll gives it a feeling more akin to a large estate rather than a 4x4.
All models have two or four-wheel drive, high or low ratio gear selection with electronic stability control and traction control as standard. The Nissan Pathfinder really does offer the best of both worlds.

Nissan Qashqai

The QASHQAI (pronounced Cash Kai), is named after a desert dwelling tribe who live near the Zagros Mountains in South Western Iran. It’s a curious thing, but unless you’ve seen a QASHQAI on the road, it is very difficult to gauge its size from photographs. That can only mean that the designers have fulfilled their brief, which was to create a crossover vehicle that has all the benefits of an SUV, such as a high driving position, and the looks, comfort and feel of a hatchback, while not taking up too much road space. In fact the QASHQAI has a similar footprint as the Ford Focus which is a fair indication of its size.
Engine entry level starts with a 1.6 115PS model which gives you 2-wheel drive and a 5-speed manual transmission. The 2.0 140PS engine offers a 6-speed gearbox or easy-going CVT, in both 2- or 4-wheel drive. There are also highly efficient diesel engines starting with a 1.5 dCi 106PS engine offering 2-wheel drive with a 6-speed gearbox, along with low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Feeling more adventurous? The state of the art 2.0 dCi 150 PS model is also available in 4-wheel drive, with auto or manual transmission.

The driver gets a height-adjustable seat and a steering wheel that adjusts for height and reach, giving fine levels of comfort. The seats give excellent support, too. The controls are logically placed and the high seating position offers a commanding view. Air conditioning is standard across the Qashqai range (Acenta and Tekna models come with dual-zone electronic climate control), and all have electric windows and electrically adjustable door mirrors. The cabin is airy and roomy, and a panoramic glass roof is optional on Acenta models and standard on Tekna. The boot is big for the class, and it's well shaped, too.

Nissan has spent a great deal of effort in ensuring the Qashqai drives like a conventional car. Although it has been designed in the mould of a 4x4, it has exceptional body control and easily copes with a series of tight bends, retaining its composure when changing direction and providing good feedback from the steering. While the steering is light at parking speeds, there is much more weight and feel as the car speeds up. The suspension soaks up the vast majority of bumps on the road from low-speed traffic-calming humps to sudden pot holes on A-roads. The Qashqai is excellent value for money taking account of the equipment fitted as standard.